Drinking and Riding?

gbs

As a newbie I find the process of pulling the bottle from the cage etc destabilising and quite unnerving. Any tips from the old hands would be appreciated. :?

OOtzen-Booty

Slow Down my son :roll:

airborne_warrior

......... and have your hands on the hoods rather than the drops or tops. It's easier to steer in a straight line.

carl_p

Choose a quiet straight section of road and when you don't have a vehicle up your backside. Stop pedallind when you pull the bottle from the cage and when you put it back in the cage. Make sure you have a drinks bottle that will easily slide in and out. I

t will get easier and you'll soon be able to do it without even thinking.

Frank the tank

I tend also to use the bottle cage on the down tube as I find it easier to reach than the one on the seat tube, and swap the bottles when the downtube one is empty.

gbs

Frank the tank wrote:

I tend also to use the bottle cage on the down tube as I find it easier to reach than the one on the seat tube, and swap the bottles when the downtube one is empty.

Sounds like one handed juggling to me!

oldwelshman

Carl_P wrote:

Choose a quiet straight section of road and when you don't have a vehicle up your backside. Stop pedallind when you pull the bottle from the cage and when you put it back in the cage. Make sure you have a drinks bottle that will easily slide in and out. I

t will get easier and you'll soon be able to do it without even thinking.

To be honest I think it is easier to ride as normal, same speed and still pedallig, slowing down makes bike more unstable.
It is better not to look down but to feel for the bottle as looking down has same affect as looking behind, it can make you "wander"
As for having the bottel come out easy, I make sure mine to not come out easy, there is nothing worse than riding behind some one who has loose fitting bottle and cage so when they hit a bump, out pops the bottle under your wheel!!

pneumatic

Practice makes perfect. Agreed that you should practice in carefully chosen places.

I was told once that the proportion of cycle accidents contributed to by riders reaching for drinks bottles (and food from back pockets) is quite high. Don't know whether that is true, but it seems plausible. The other one to watch (or not to watch!) is looking down at the sprocket to see what gear you are in. I have had some near misses with the kerb doing that over the years.

markos1963

gbs wrote:

Frank the tank wrote:

I tend also to use the bottle cage on the down tube as I find it easier to reach than the one on the seat tube, and swap the bottles when the downtube one is empty.

Sounds like one handed juggling to me!

If you practice its ok, just take the empty one out with the right hand then put it in the left then reach down with the right and swap bottles in cage then put empty in seat tube cage.

teagar

Don't get your watch strap caught on your rear-break cable if you're a lefty.

Almost caused many a crash by doing that.

dave milne

gbs wrote:

Frank the tank wrote:

I tend also to use the bottle cage on the down tube as I find it easier to reach than the one on the seat tube, and swap the bottles when the downtube one is empty.

Sounds like one handed juggling to me!

I hold the empty one in my teeth and swap them over

beefcake2

What do you drink on a ride? I can now ride for over 2 hours. I read that for anything up to 2 hours water is fine but i am finding that i ache quite a lot afterwards. What should I drink during my ride and post ride? :?

Cheers

Beefcake2

dave milne

I use psp22 during the ride and I always have a bottle of SIS rego in the fridge for when I get home. Works for me - if you're just starting to increase the miles you really want to be eating something every hour too

skullthaw

get a cammel bak they are amazing wont be destabalised by that oh and means less weight on the bike which cn only be a good thing

sampras38

Frank the tank wrote:

I tend also to use the bottle cage on the down tube as I find it easier to reach than the one on the seat tube, and swap the bottles when the downtube one is empty.

+1 for this method.

cougie

I'd just go for the practice idea. Find a quiet road or a closed supermarket and practice for 30 mins - taking the bottles out and putting them back again.

Camelbacks are good for off road, but not so good on the road. Sweaty backs, and you can never really tell how much you have drunk.

keef66

I'm ok during the day but at night a couple of times I have taken the bottle out of the cage on the downtube and after taking a swig tried to put it back on the seat tube. Problem being I don't have a cage there, only a pump. Since I often drink after a spot of climbing, the fumbling in the dark then coincides with the next downhill section. Last night I nearly put the pump through the back wheel!

Colzer1

buy a camelback

ride_whenever

Practice on a turbo if you have one. Then you can get the action dialled for when you hit the road (jack).

le_grimpeur

Also, extract the bottle along the direction of where its placed, rather than just tugging at it